How to increase the efficiency of your PIM system in 4 steps?

If the system performance is noticeably decreasing, it is worth taking a look at the system configuration – sometimes optimization work is necessary. Do you want to know how the PIM system optimization process works and what happens at each stage? Check out the article below.

“Our PIM is too slow” – when to optimize the system?

Implementing a PIM system is an investment in the development of a company. If problems with system performance begin, managing the product base becomes more difficult, takes up more and more time, and efficiency in this area drops significantly.

Long product import/export, frequent system errors or frequent system "hanging" - these are the most common problems reported by users. Decreases in performance may be related to the fact that e-commerce is developing intensively: more indexes in the product database or processes are becoming more complicated.

When performance drops, vendors often advise: "we need to increase server resources." There are situations where this is the only solution. However, very often the problem lies in the system configuration and optimization work carried out to a small extent significantly increases performance. How do we work with our clients on optimizing the PIM system?

PIM system optimization – how is it done?

Every company is different. However, when it comes to increasing the efficiency of a PIM system, the main need is one: processes must be faster and precise. The optimization process can be summed up in 4 basic steps:

STEP 1 – conversation with the client

We always start by collecting feedback on the use of the PIM system. In most cases, the client already knows which operations make daily work the most difficult and reports a specific process for optimization. However, it happens that what the client comes with is only the tip of the iceberg. An interview with the client and then a detailed performance analysis help to indicate areas for improvement and set priorities. To be determined at this stage (questions for the client):

• Which PIM processes take the most time?
• What specific system operations are the most frustrating?
• Are there times when the system runs noticeably slower?
• What optimization actions have already been undertaken and with what results?

STEP 2 – Performance Analysis

The second step in optimizing a PIM system is to thoroughly analyze its performance. It often happens that the originally reported issue is only a symptom of a deeper problem. That is why we analyze database queries and identify those that load the system the most. We start with the processes that generate the greatest delays and optimize them first.

The most important tasks at this stage (on the supplier/technology partner side):

• Identification of operations that burden the system the most
• Database query analysis for performance
• Detection of inefficient operations and potential errors
• Evaluation of the impact of the number of users and the amount of data on the system
• Preparation of preliminary optimization recommendations

STEP 3 – Implementing optimization fixes

Based on the analysis, we develop an optimization plan. The priority is to eliminate the main bottlenecks that slow down the system. Sometimes a single change, such as optimizing the way data is imported, can significantly improve the performance of the entire system. Thanks to this approach, we minimize the need to implement large-scale changes, and the system starts to work more smoothly after just a few corrections.

The most important tasks at this stage (on the supplier/technology partner side):

• Selecting the most effective methods to improve performance
• Minimizing the impact of implemented changes on users' current work
• Testing patch effectiveness and verifying system stability
• Ensuring data security during optimization
• Documentation of implemented changes for future development activities

STEP 4 – revision and decision on further optimization work

The final step is to re-analyze the system's performance after the fixes have been implemented. We check whether the original problems have been resolved and whether the system has achieved the expected performance.

If yes, the work can be completed. If not, we move on to the next optimization steps, eliminating the next burdens. We focus on an iterative approach. Instead of making complicated, expensive changes all at once, we optimize the system gradually, achieving the best ratio of effects to inputs. To be determined at this stage (together):

• How much has system performance improved?
• How did the changes affect users' work comfort?
• Are there additional areas to optimize?
• Are further improvement actions profitable?
• What should be the next steps depending on the analysis results?

The problem is not always the system configuration

Sometimes it turns out that the performance degradation of the PIM system is not due to incorrect configuration or insufficient server resources relative to the data, but to the incorrect way of using the system. An example would be a situation where a client used a tool created for quick searching of single indexes (Quick Search) to process tens of thousands of records at once. The effect? ​​A significant slowdown of the system and a drop in performance.

In such cases, it is crucial not only to find a solution on the system side, but also to educate the user so that the system is used in accordance with its intended purpose.

How to Optimize PIM? Summary

PIM tools are highly scalable and allow for flexible adjustment to business needs. However, this is not a one-time operation, but a process that continues in parallel with the development of the company. Proper diagnosis of performance problems and their removal, but also proactive development of the system that will meet the changing requirements of users - these are the basic assumptions of cooperation with the system provider. Is your PIM system running too slowly? Do you want to increase the efficiency or expand the system? Contact us - experts in the field of PIM tools will answer your questions and propose the most optimal solution.